368 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



of the frond), are of a purple-brown colour. The primary pinnae (principal 

 leaflets) are 2ft. or more long, and pinnatifid (cut half-way to the midrib) 

 at their summit ; the pinnules (leafits) are distinctly stalked, 4in. to Sin. 

 long, Jin. to lin. broad, and extremely variable in form, their base being 

 either sub-hastate (nearly halbert- shaped), heart-shaped, or truncate (terminating 

 abruptly), while sometimes they are either toothed towards their summit, 

 entire (undivided), or slightly lobed, or more or less deeply cut to their 

 midrib. The sori (spore masses) are disposed in a single row running 

 parallel with the primary vein of the fertile pinnules. — Hooker, Synopsis 

 Fili cum, p. 43. 



A. Poeppigii — Pcep-pig'-i-i (Pceppig's), Hooker. 



This stove species, native of Peru, is somewhat allied to A. paleolata, 

 from which it essentially differs through its closely-pinnate principal leaflets : 

 these are abundantly furnished with stalkless, elongated, spear-shaped pinnules 

 (leafits), suddenly terminating in a tapering point, and divided nearly to 

 their costa (midrib). The sub-divisions of these pinnules — thick, leathery, 

 and crowded — are narrow-oblong, sickle-shaped, and very blunt : they have 

 their margins slightly curved in and densely clothed to their very point with 

 sori (spore masses), which are freely intermixed with short hairs of a light 

 brown colour. — Hooker, Species Filicum, i., p. 43. 



A. prseeincta — prfe-einc'-ta (girded), Kunze. 



In this stove species, native of Bahia, the fronds are tripinnatifid (three 

 times divided half-way to the midrib) ; they have oblong- spear -shaped leaflets 

 lft. to l|ft. long, furnished with distinctly-stalked, spear-shaped pinnules 

 (leafits) Sin. to 4in. long and about lin. broad, cut down to a broad wing. 

 The sub-divisions thus produced are of a somewhat leathery texture, bright 

 green on both sides, blunt, closely and finely toothed, and the very small sori 

 (spore masses) are disposed along their margin. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, 

 p. 458. 



A. procera — pro-ce'-ra (tall), Kaulfuss. 



A stove species, native of Tropical America, where it is very abundant. 

 Its fronds are of a somewhat leathery texture, and bipinnate (twice divided 



